CoEx Ike Leggett wants to expand the size of the MoCo Council.
His plan, which he had proposed several years ago while a council member, calls for adding two members who would represent new districts. Currently, five council members are elected by district, and four are elected at-large. Leggett also proposed changing the method for picking the council president, suggesting that a candidate run at-large in a president's race for a four-year term. Currently, the council president is picked by colleagues and serves a one-year term.
The MoCo Civic Federation was pushing for a change to the County Council from 4 At Large and 5 District members to 9 District members in 2004. It was County Question C on the November 2004 ballot. It lost 60.6% to 39.4%.
I remember Ike mentioning his desire to expand the county council from 9 members to 11 members (7 Districts and 4 At Large) during the 2006 primary race. The article indicates that Ike had wanted to expand the County Council for several years. It makes sense. Having 9 members to represent a County of almost a million people is daunting. DC has 13 members to represent a population that is around 70% of the size of MoCo.
The next step is for the MoCo Charter Commission to come back with its report in May.